Monday, October 24, 2005

in 1648, negotiators at Westphalia fail to come to an agreement to end the Central European war between Protestants and Catholics. It has already lasted 30 years, outliving many of the nobles who started it. They continue to struggle until the war finally peters out with no formal declaration in 1682.

in 1890, one of Charles Brigman's wives escapes to federal troops in Salt Lake City and offers her information in exchange for passage back east. Colonel Beauregard T. Jackson agrees, and is rewarded with a wealth of intelligence on Brigman's movements and bases in the area surrounding Salt Lake City.

in 1929, a small panic took the Dow Jones average down a few points, but cooler heads prevailed at the end of the day. There was some concern among the more bearish economists that most of the stock being traded was highly overvalued, but there seemed to be a gentleman's agreement among the traders to ignore these naysayers. They kept the U.S. economy humming along through the 1930's in the longest period of expansion in American history.

in 1943, the first elements of the Semitic-African Resistance organize themselves around clandestine ham radio operators in eastern Europe and the Mediterranean. The S.A.R. were the heirs to the legacy of the Greater Zionist Resistance, attempting to protect their people after the G.Z.R. dream of conquest had been defeated.

in 1944, Nazis killed automaker Louis Renault as they retreated from France. Renault, a fierce patriot who had made tanks and troop transports for the French army in World War I, had encouraged the Germans to use his factories after their invasion so that he could sabotage their efforts. The tanks that came out of the Renault factories were so shoddy that they often didn't make it far from the factory. Renault is lionized today as a leader of the French Resistance.

in 1958, famed mystery novelist Raymond Chandler begins his last novel, The Horror of Poodle Springs, a departure from his regular detective fare. He had been having nightmares, and told his agent that the novel was based on those strange dreams. The agent becomes increasingly agitated by the excerpts Chandler forwards, and is almost relieved when Chandler dies before completing the novel. He burns the manuscript when nightmares begin visiting him.

in 1970, Salvador Allende, a perennial candidate for Chile's presidency, finally wins when the Chilean Congress decides in his favor. President Robert Kennedy, as fiercely anti-communist as his brother before him, warns the fiery Allende not to push Chile's democracy too far to the left, and Allende proves to be both pragmatic and skilled at running the small South American nation. He and Kennedy forge closer ties between their two countries.

in 1987, the Senate, in a rebuke to Comrade President Ann Richards, denies her nominee for the Supreme People’s Court, fellow Texas Socialist James Hightower. The Senate felt that Comrade Richards was attempting to concentrate too many of her old Texas Soviet cronies into high office with her. This was probably what led her to choose a New Hampshire native, David Souter, for her next judicial nominee.

in 1991, Star Trek producer/creator Bob Wesley dies of a heart attack in Los Angeles, California. His vision of the future started not only his own career but those of Emmy and Oscar winners William Shatner, Martin Landau, Will Wheaton and Patrick Stewart. Wesley will always be remembered with great affection by the millions who followed that vision.

in 2003, after a 5th trumpet sounds throughout the Holy British Empire, millions see Estelle Gerard in the sky over London; many even see her at the head of a choir of angels. Priests who had been faithful to Pope Righteous I begin to develop diseases, and die in great numbers over the next few days.

TIAH HALLOWEEN CONTEST: EXTENDED BY 5 DAYS - no donation required, just send us your stuff! Only 1 day left! We're extending the deadline to October 25th to give you more time to get in those entries!

In order to give us a tad more time for Halloween, Today In Alternate History is sponsoring its first contest - email us up to 3 alternate history entries for October 31st, 2005. The best 10 entries will make up the entire content of the post on October 31st, Halloween day. Entries must be received by October 25th! Boring Legal Info - By entering the contest, you grant TIAH the right to electronically print your writing on October 31st, 2005, maintain your writing in our archives, and reprint your entry should we decide to reuse it in the future. TIAH only maintains full copyright over material it has originated that has been used by contestants in writing their own entries. Enter early and often!

Also, we still have our standard offer - everybody who donates $10 or more through our Paypal link will become alternate history entries on the site. When you donate, I will email you asking your preference for a day & timeline; if you don't reply to me, I'll place you in a day that seems to fit your name :) Thanks for your continued support!

Forum Link not working for now - Forum has been hacked! We're working on getting it back, and will let you know once it's back up.Fresh New Poll - Shall we use future dates in our entries?

Warp and Protocols still available; also, see the script I submitted for Bravo's Situation: Comedy. Speaking of which, the winning writers have been announced; not the ones I voted for, but you can see the one I did at http://www.marktreitel.com

Still wishing...

As your humble alternate historian enters the downhill slope of the 40's, he still has his birthday wish - a contract with a publishing company like Workman Publishing to produce a page-a-day calendar of TIAH. If you are an editor for such a company, or can place us in touch with one, please fulfill this belated birthday wish!

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